Engineered acetogenic bacteria as microbial cell factory for diversified biochemicals

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Metabolic Engineering
• Synthetic Biology

Background:

• Acetogenic bacteria (acetogens) utilize the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway to convert C1 gases (CO, CO2/H2) into acetate and ethanol.
• Acetogens are key players in sustainable production of biofuels and biochemicals, contributing to carbon neutrality goals.
• Recent advancements in gene editing have accelerated the metabolic engineering of acetogens.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the latest applications of metabolic engineering in acetogens.
• To discuss the challenges encountered in acetogen metabolic engineering.
• To propose strategies for overcoming these challenges and advancing the field.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on metabolic engineering of acetogens.
• Analysis of gene editing techniques and their impact on acetogen metabolism.
• Identification of introduced heterologous metabolic pathways for enhanced or novel product synthesis.

Main Results:

• Metabolic engineering enables acetogens to improve native product yields and synthesize non-native compounds.
• Introduction of specific pathways can significantly enhance the production capabilities of acetogens.
• Progress in gene editing tools has facilitated more sophisticated metabolic manipulations.

Conclusions:

• Metabolic engineering holds significant promise for optimizing acetogens in industrial biotechnology.
• Addressing current challenges in metabolic engineering is crucial for realizing the full potential of acetogens.
• Future strategies should focus on further refining gene editing and pathway engineering for acetogens.